Com. v. Peck, M., Jr. , 202 A.3d 739 ( 2019 )


Menu:
  • J-A19030-18
    
    2019 Pa. Super. 8
    COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA               :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
    :        PENNSYLVANIA
    :
    v.                             :
    :
    :
    MITCHELL GREGORY PECK, JR.                 :
    :
    Appellant               :   No. 226 MDA 2018
    Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered September 1, 2017
    In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Criminal Division at No(s):
    CP-67-CR-0000880-2017
    BEFORE: GANTMAN, P.J., NICHOLS, J., and FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E.
    OPINION BY NICHOLS, J.:                               FILED JANUARY 08, 2019
    Appellant Mitchell Gregory Peck, Jr. appeals from the judgment of
    sentence of twenty to forty years’ imprisonment imposed after a jury found
    him guilty of drug delivery resulting in death.1 Appellant contends that there
    was insufficient evidence to sustain his conviction under Section 2506 because
    the subject delivery occurred in Maryland.          Appellant also challenges the
    discretionary aspects of the sentence. We affirm.
    The facts relevant to this appeal are not in dispute.         Kevin Hunt
    (Decedent) lived with his father, James Hunt (Mr. Hunt), in Fawn Grove, York
    County. Mr. Hunt last saw Decedent alive at around 9:30 p.m. on December
    9, 2014, when Mr. Hunt returned home, spoke briefly with Decedent in the
    kitchen, and then went to bed.
    ____________________________________________
    1   18 Pa.C.S. § 2506.
    J-A19030-18
    Based on a series of text messages between Decedent and Appellant,2
    it was determined that Decedent and Appellant met later that same evening,
    at some time after 11:00 p.m. Appellant sent Decedent directions indicating
    that Appellant and Decedent met at a High’s convenience store in Maryland,
    approximately ten miles south of the Pennsylvania border. At the meeting in
    Maryland, Appellant sold Decedent heroin. Following the sale, Appellant and
    Decedent continued to exchange text messages. Decedent expressed concern
    that the heroin looked like a “rock.” Appellant boasted that the heroin was
    “off the brick, purest of pure” and told Decedent to “try it.” Further messages
    between 11:36 p.m. to 11:47 p.m. indicated that Decedent tried the heroin,
    complimented Appellant, and thanked Appellant for the delivery.
    On the following morning, December 10, 2014, Mr. Hunt left for work at
    6:45 a.m., but did not see Decedent. Mr. Hunt returned home from work on
    December 10, 2014, at 6:30 p.m.                Mr. Hunt checked on Decedent, but
    Decedent’s bedroom was locked. Mr. Hunt unlocked the door, entered the
    room, and discovered Decedent hunched over on the floor. Mr. Hunt shook
    Decedent, but Decedent fell over. Decedent’s body was stiff and his face was
    blue and had blood on it. Mr. Hunt called a neighbor who, in turn, called 911.
    Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Thomas Grothey responded and
    found a “rock” of heroin on Decedent’s nightstand and Decedent’s cell phone
    ____________________________________________
    2 Appellant and Decedent had been friends since elementary school. Appellant
    was twenty-two years old at the time of the offense. Decedent was twenty-
    three years old at the time of his death.
    -2-
    J-A19030-18
    on the floor of Decedent’s bedroom. Trooper Grothey read the text messages
    between Decedent and Appellant from Decedent’s phone.
    A criminal complaint was filed against Appellant on September 6, 2016.
    The Commonwealth filed an information charging Appellant with delivery of
    heroin (Count 1) and drug delivery resulting in death (Count 2) on February
    9, 2017.
    On July 7, 2017, Appellant filed a motion to dismiss Count 1.
    Specifically, Appellant asserted that the trial court did not have subject matter
    jurisdiction over “a matter that allegedly took place” in Maryland. Mot. to
    Dismiss Count 1, 7/7/17, ¶ 4. Appellant conceded that neither “[t]he location
    of the alleged delivery, nor the dismissal of Count 1 of the Information will
    have any effect upon Count 2 of the Information.” 
    Id. at ¶
    6.
    On July 17, 2017, the trial court entered an order dismissing Count 1
    without prejudice.3      Immediately thereafter, Appellant proceeded to a jury
    trial on Count 2 for drug delivery resulting in death. On July 19, 2017, the
    jury found Appellant guilty.
    On September 1, 2017, the trial court sentenced Appellant to a statutory
    maximum sentence of twenty to forty years’ imprisonment. Appellant timely
    filed post-sentence motions requesting, in relevant part, the dismissal of the
    ____________________________________________
    3 The order indicated that the Commonwealth agreed that the trial court did
    “not have jurisdiction over the delivery charge since that occurred in the State
    of Maryland or at least is alleged to have occurred [in Maryland].” Order,
    7/17/17.
    -3-
    J-A19030-18
    conviction or a resentencing hearing. The trial court denied Appellant’s post-
    sentence motions on January 26, 2018.
    Appellant timely appealed and complied with the trial court’s order to
    submit a Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) statement. This appeal followed.
    Appellant presents the following issues for review:
    [1.] Whether the evidence was insufficient to sustain [Appellant’s]
    conviction for drug delivery resulting in death where the charge
    was premised on a delivery occurring in Maryland, and thus did
    not satisfy the element that the delivery was in violation of
    Pennsylvania’s Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic
    Act.
    [2.] Whether the trial court erred in imposing the statutory
    maximum sentence based principally on factors inherent in the
    offense of drug delivery resulting in death: the sale of drugs and
    the death of the victim.
    Appellant’s Brief at 4.
    Appellant first raises a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence.
    Appellant claims that a violation of Pennsylvania’s Controlled Substance, Drug,
    Device, and Cosmetic Act (CSDDCA) is a necessary element of drug delivery
    resulting in death. 
    Id. at 14.
    Appellant continues that “the only delivery here,
    however, occurred in Maryland” and suggests that he could not be convicted
    for that delivery under Pennsylvania’s CSDDCA.        
    Id. Appellant therefore
    asserts that his conviction for drug delivery resulting in death must also fail
    as a matter of law. 
    Id. Notably, Appellant
    goes to some length to distinguish his sufficiency
    claim from a jurisdictional analysis under 18 Pa.C.S. § 102, which defines the
    -4-
    J-A19030-18
    territorial applicability of Pennsylvania’s Crimes Code. 
    Id. at 15-16.
    Appellant
    asserts that an analysis of Section 102 “conflate[es] jurisdiction” with his
    argument based on “proof of an essential element of the offense.” 
    Id. at 16.
    The Commonwealth responds that under Section 102, the trial court
    properly exercised jurisdiction based on Decedent’s death in Pennsylvania.
    Commonwealth’s Brief at 21. The Commonwealth suggests that under Section
    102(a)(1), the fact that Decedent died in Pennsylvania made the location of
    the delivery irrelevant to Appellant’s liability under Section 2506 in
    Pennsylvania.   See 
    id. The Commonwealth
    summarizes its position as
    follows: “[Appellant] sold heroin to [Decedent] and [Decedent] died in
    Pennsylvania as a result of using that heroin, Pennsylvania properly exercised
    subject matter jurisdiction over [Appellant] and [Appellant] was criminally
    liable for [Decedent]’s death.” 
    Id. A challenge
    to the sufficiency of the evidence requires this Court to
    determine “whether the evidence admitted at trial, and all the reasonable
    inferences derived therefrom viewed in favor of the Commonwealth as verdict
    winner, supports the jury’s finding of all the elements of the offense beyond a
    reasonable doubt.” Commonwealth v. Packer, 
    168 A.3d 161
    , 163 n.3 (Pa.
    2017) (citation and quotation marks omitted).
    -5-
    J-A19030-18
    The provision criminalizing a drug delivery resulting in death is set forth
    under Chapter 25 of the Crimes Code, which relates to homicide. 4 Section
    2506 states, in relevant part:
    (a) Offense defined.—A person commits a felony of the first
    degree if the person intentionally administers, dispenses, delivers,
    gives, prescribes, sells or distributes any controlled substance or
    counterfeit controlled substance in violation of section 13(a)(14)
    or (30) of the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L. 233, No. 64),[] known as
    The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, and
    another person dies as a result of using the substance.
    18 Pa.C.S. § 2506.        Section 2506 “consists of two principal elements: (i)
    [i]ntentionally administering, dispensing, delivering, giving, prescribing,
    selling or distributing any controlled substance or counterfeit controlled
    substance and (ii) death caused by (‘resulting from’) the use of that drug.”5
    ____________________________________________
    4Section 2501 defines “criminal homicide” as “[a] person is guilty of criminal
    homicide if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or negligently causes the
    death of another human being.” 18 Pa.C.S. § 2501(a).
    5 We note that a former version of Section 2506 explicitly defined a drug
    delivery resulting in death as murder of the third degree.                 See
    Commonwealth v. Ludwig, 
    874 A.2d 623
    , 629-31 (Pa. 2005) (holding that
    former version of Section 2506 required the Commonwealth to establish
    malice due to the statute’s express reference to drug delivery resulting in
    death as murder of the third degree). However, the current version of the
    Section 2506 does not expressly classify drug delivery resulting in death as a
    recognized category of homicide. See 18 Pa.C.S. § 2506(a); see also 18
    Pa.C.S. § 2501(b) (indicating that “[c]riminal homicide shall be classified as
    murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter.”). Therefore,
    under the present version of Section 2506, the Commonwealth must
    demonstrate that a defendant was at least “reckless” as to the death caused
    by the use of an illicitly delivered drug. Commonwealth v. Kakhankham,
    
    132 A.3d 986
    , 995 (Pa. Super. 2015). Because “the dangers of heroin are so
    great and well-known,” this Court has concluded that a delivery of heroin alone
    -6-
    J-A19030-18
    Commonwealth v. Kakhankham, 
    132 A.3d 986
    , 991-92 (Pa. Super. 2015)
    (citation and footnote omitted).
    The territorial applicability of Pennsylvania Crimes Code is defined in
    Section 102, which states, in relevant part:
    (a) General rule.—Except as otherwise provided in this section,
    a person may be convicted under the law of this Commonwealth
    of an offense committed by his own conduct or the conduct of
    another for which he is legally accountable if either:
    (1) the conduct which is an element of the offense or the result
    which is such an element occurs within this Commonwealth[.]
    ***
    (c) Homicide.—When the offense is homicide or homicide of an
    unborn child, either the death of the victim, including an unborn
    child, or the bodily impact causing death constitutes a “result”
    within the meaning of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and if the
    body of a homicide victim, including an unborn child, is found
    within this Commonwealth, it is presumed that such result
    occurred within this Commonwealth.
    18 Pa.C.S. § 102(a)(1), (c).
    Instantly, Appellant has not demonstrated that the elements of Section
    2506 preclude a conviction for drug delivery resulting in death where the drug
    delivery occurred outside of Pennsylvania. Section 102 clearly establishes that
    acts occurring outside of Pennsylvania may be subject to criminal prosecution
    in Pennsylvania, particularly when a death occurs within Pennsylvania. See
    18 Pa.C.S. § 102(c). Contrary to Appellant’s assertion, an analysis of Section
    ____________________________________________
    satisfies the recklessness requirement when a death occurs as a result of the
    sale.” Commonwealth v. Storey, 
    167 A.3d 750
    , 757 (Pa. Super. 2017)
    (citation omitted).
    -7-
    J-A19030-18
    102 is critical to determine whether (1) the trial court properly exercised
    subject matter jurisdiction to convict him of an offense under Section 2506,
    see Commonwealth v. Seiders, 
    11 A.3d 495
    , 496-97 (Pa. Super. 2010),
    and (2) the evidence presented was sufficient to sustain the conviction based
    on Decedent’s death in Pennsylvania.
    Here, the Commonwealth presented evidence that (1) although the
    conduct, i.e., the delivery, occurred in Maryland, it was in violation of
    Pennsylvania’s CSDDCA, (2) a death resulted from the delivery, and (3)
    Appellant acted recklessly when causing Decedent’s death. See 
    Storey, 167 A.3d at 757
    . Therefore, even if the trial court lacked jurisdiction to convict
    Appellant of the delivery under Section 102, the Commonwealth still
    established the sufficiency of the evidence of a drug delivery resulting in
    death. See 
    Packer, 168 A.3d at 161
    n.3. Accordingly, we find no merit to
    Appellant’s sufficiency of the evidence challenge based solely on the fact that
    the predicate drug delivery occurred outside Pennsylvania.
    Appellant next challenges the discretionary aspects of the sentence.
    Appellant argues that the trial court improperly relied on the facts that
    Appellant sold Decedent a “deadly drug” and that the delivery resulted in
    death when imposing a statutory maximum sentence of twenty to forty years’
    imprisonment.6 Appellant’s Brief at 21. According to Appellant, this resulted
    ____________________________________________
    6The offense gravity score of drug delivery resulting in death was 13 and
    Appellant’s prior record score was 5. The sentencing guidelines suggested a
    -8-
    J-A19030-18
    in a “double counting” of sentencing factors.            
    Id. at 21-23
    (citing
    Commonwealth v. Goggins, 
    748 A.2d 721
    , 732 (Pa. Super. 2000) (en
    banc), and Commonwealth v. Johnson, 
    758 A.2d 1214
    , 1219 (Pa. Super.
    2000)). Specifically, Appellant asserts that there was “little about” the present
    offense “that was worse than any other” drug delivery resulting in death. 
    Id. Appellant notes
    that the trial court’s references to the need to protect society
    and deterring the conduct of others were accounted for in the offense and
    failed to establish a proper basis to aggravate the sentence based on the
    circumstances of the present offense. 
    Id. at 23.
    Additionally, Appellant contends that the trial court impermissibly relied
    on his prior drug convictions. 
    Id. at 22-23.
    Lastly, Appellant contends that
    the trial court’s consideration of the potency of the heroin and the fact that
    Appellant and Decedent were friends did not warrant an extreme departure
    from the sentencing guidelines. 
    Id. at 23-24.
    It is well settled that
    [c]hallenges to the discretionary aspects of sentencing do not
    entitle an appellant to review as of right. An appellant challenging
    the discretionary aspects of his sentence must invoke this Court’s
    jurisdiction by satisfying a four-part test:
    We conduct a four-part analysis to determine: (1) whether
    appellant has filed a timely notice of appeal, see Pa.R.A.P.
    902 and 903; (2) whether the issue was properly preserved
    at sentencing or in a motion to reconsider and modify
    sentence, see Pa.R.Crim.P. 720; (3) whether appellant’s
    ____________________________________________
    standard range minimum sentence of 8 to 9½ years, plus or minus 1 year for
    aggravating or mitigating factors. Therefore, the trial court’s sentence was
    outside the sentencing guidelines.
    -9-
    J-A19030-18
    brief has a fatal defect, Pa.R.A.P. 2119(f); and (4) whether
    there is a substantial question that the sentence appealed
    from is not appropriate under the Sentencing Code, 42
    Pa.C.S.[ ] § 9781(b).
    Commonwealth v. Proctor, 
    156 A.3d 261
    , 273 (Pa. Super. ) (some citations
    omitted), appeal denied, 
    172 A.3d 592
    (Pa. 2017). “A substantial question
    exists only when the appellant advances a colorable argument that the
    sentencing judge’s actions were either: (1) inconsistent with a specific
    provision of the Sentencing Code; or (2) contrary to the fundamental norms
    which underlie the sentencing process.” 
    Id. (citation omitted).
    Instantly, Appellant has preserved his sentencing issues in a post-
    sentence motion, a timely appeal, and a Rule 2119(f) statement in his brief.
    See 
    id. Furthermore, Appellant’s
    assertions that the trial court relied on
    improper sentencing factors raise substantial questions for our review. See
    
    Goggins, 748 A.2d at 732
    .
    Our review is governed by the following principles:
    Sentencing is a matter vested in the sound discretion of the
    sentencing judge, and a sentence will not be disturbed on
    appeal absent a manifest abuse of discretion. In this
    context, an abuse of discretion is not shown merely by an
    error in judgment. Rather, the appellant must establish, by
    reference to the record, that the sentencing court ignored
    or misapplied the law, exercised its judgment for reasons of
    partiality, prejudice, bias or ill will, or arrived at a manifestly
    unreasonable decision.
    When imposing a sentence, the sentencing court is required to
    consider the sentence ranges set forth in the Sentencing
    Guidelines, but i[s] not bound by the Sentencing Guidelines. . . .
    A court may depart from the guidelines “if necessary, to fashion a
    sentence which takes into account the protection of the public, the
    rehabilitative needs of the defendant, and the gravity of the
    - 10 -
    J-A19030-18
    particular offense as it relates to the impact on the life of the
    victim and the community.” When a court chooses to depart from
    the guidelines however, it must “demonstrate on the record, as a
    proper starting point, his awareness of the sentencing guidelines.”
    Further, the court must “provide a contemporaneous written
    statement of the reason or reasons for the deviation from the
    guidelines.”
    When reviewing a sentence outside of the guideline range, the
    essential question is whether the sentence imposed was
    reasonable. An appellate court must vacate and remand a case
    where it finds that “the sentencing court sentenced outside the
    sentencing guidelines and the sentence is unreasonable.” 42
    Pa.C.S.[] § 9781(c)(3).
    Commonwealth v. Sheller, 
    961 A.2d 187
    , 190 (Pa. Super. 2008) (some
    citations omitted).   The inquiry into the reasonableness of a sentence is
    difficult to define. Commonwealth v. Walls, 
    926 A.2d 957
    , 964 (Pa. 2007).
    When reviewing the record, 42 Pa.C.S. § 9781 requires that we
    consider:
    (1) The nature and circumstances of the offense and the history
    and characteristics of the defendant.
    (2) The opportunity of the sentencing court to observe the
    defendant, including any presentence investigation.
    (3) The findings upon which the sentence was based.
    (4) The guidelines promulgated by the commission.
    42 Pa.C.S. § 9781(d).
    “[A] sentence may be found to be unreasonable after review of Section
    9781(d)’s four statutory factors.” 
    Walls, 926 A.2d at 964
    . Additionally, a
    sentence may also be unreasonable if it was imposed “without express or
    implicit consideration” of the protection of the public, the rehabilitative needs
    - 11 -
    J-A19030-18
    of the defendant, and the gravity of the particular offense as it relates to the
    impact on the life of the victim and the community as required by 42 Pa.C.S.
    § 9721(b).7 
    Id. This Court
    has held that
    [w]here the trial court deviates substantially from the sentencing
    guideline range “it is especially important that the court consider
    all factors relevant to the determination of a proper sentence.”
    Such factors justifying an upward departure, however, may not
    include those already taken into account in the guidelines[’]
    calculations.
    Commonwealth v. Messmer, 
    863 A.2d 567
    , 573 (Pa. Super. 2004)
    (citations omitted).      However, this Court should not reweigh the proper
    sentencing factors considered by the trial court and impose our own judgment
    in the place of the trial court. Commonwealth v. Macias, 
    968 A.2d 773
    ,
    778 (Pa. Super. 2009).
    Here, the trial court provided the following statement before imposing
    sentence:
    Well, we’ve listened carefully to everything said this morning in
    this courtroom regarding this sentencing hearing or regarding the
    sentencing of [Appellant], and, again, we’ve read and reviewed
    ____________________________________________
    7   The Walls Court cautioned:
    Even though the unreasonableness inquiry lacks precise
    boundaries, we are confident that rejection of a sentencing court’s
    imposition of sentence on unreasonableness grounds would occur
    infrequently, whether the sentence is above or below the guideline
    ranges, especially when the unreasonableness inquiry is
    conducted using the proper standard of review.
    
    Walls, 926 A.2d at 964
    .
    - 12 -
    J-A19030-18
    the pre-sentence investigation report as            well   as   [the]
    Commonwealth’s [sentencing] memorandum.
    In sentencing anyone who’s committed a crime, this [c]ourt takes
    into consideration the nature of the crime, the probability or
    possibility of rehabilitating the criminal, and the need to protect
    society. The crime charged for which [Appellant] has been
    convicted is a very serious crime. It’s a first-degree felony, as, for
    example, is third-degree murder. Both those crimes carry the
    same statutory maximum of 20 to 40 years[’] incarceration.
    [Appellant] in this case caused the death of an old friend by selling
    him heroin. [Appellant]’s prior record score indicates that he has
    in the past been involved in trafficking of drugs and, in fact, has
    been convicted on several occasions for those kinds of offenses.
    We recognize that [Appellant] here today, after spending several
    years in incarceration, indicates that he regrets committing this
    crime and is remorseful, but there’s nothing in the record of the
    trial or in the pre-sentence investigation report that would indicate
    that prior to today he’s expressed any remorse, and we well
    understand that drug addiction may be an explanation for why a
    crime was committed but is no excuse for the commission of the
    crime.
    We would posit that there are many drug addicts who, in fact, do
    not engage in the trafficking of drugs or the business of drug
    selling, and while the [Appellant] today has indicated that he on
    several occasions asked the authorities for help to deal with his
    drug addiction and claims he was turned down, there’s nothing to
    indicate that during the time that he was addicted and not
    incarcerated, he, himself, took any initiative to try to deal with his
    drug addiction.
    We do not consider [Appellant] a good prospect for rehabilitation
    since the history of [Appellant] and his addiction indicates that
    apparently since his addiction came to fruition, the only time he’s
    been clean is when he’s been incarcerated.
    Finally, a young man is dead because of [Appellant]’s actions.
    [Appellant] sold the victim in this case a deadly drug. He was, in
    fact, a peddler of death.
    Finally, we believe the protection of society from this individual is
    of paramount concern in this particular case given the
    circumstances. [Appellant] has had several chances to mend his
    ways to stop dealing in drugs, but apparently to no avail. I’m
    - 13 -
    J-A19030-18
    firmly convinced that society is safer with [Appellant] incarcerated
    rather than not. And while I’m certainly sympathetic to the other
    people still living that [Appellant] has hurt through his criminal
    actions, I cannot give more consideration to those hurts than I
    can give to the danger he poses to the public.
    And I would point out that clearly his actions were predatory in
    nature. They were preying upon a very vulnerable group of
    people, those who are addicted to drugs. [Appellant] didn’t have
    to sell that purest of the pure heroin to his old friend that night,
    but he did it. He bragged about it. He touted the quality of the
    merchandise he was selling as much as a car salesman would tout
    the quality of the car he’s seeking to sell to a customer.
    Society should not have to take another chance that this
    [Appellant], when left to his own devices, will not simply return to
    his drug dealing ways. Therefore, we impose the following
    sentence, and we hope that the sentence we are about to impose
    will, in fact, deter those who seek to make an easy buck selling
    deadly poison to drug addicts or even those who seek an easy way
    to support their own drug habits by selling those deadly drugs. As
    [defense counsel] aptly pointed out, there are many addicts who
    do not turn to crime, but [Appellant] in this case certainly has,
    and it’s not the first time.
    . . . [Appellant]’s prior record score is 5 but, as [the
    Commonwealth] pointed out, does not take into consideration the
    number of prior drug trafficking and drug-involved crimes that
    make up that prior record score. . . .
    We are satisfied given the considerations just mentioned by this
    Court that the [Appellant]’s conduct, not only regarding this
    crime, but prior crimes for which he has committed, as well as
    what would appear to be his poor prospects for rehabilitation when
    not incarcerated, and the need for the protection of society from
    him, as well as the deterrent effect of the sentence about to be
    imposed will have, we sentence the [Appellant] to the maximum
    20 to 40 years[’] incarceration in a state correctional institution. .
    ..
    N.T., 9/1/17, at 19-23.
    Following our review of the factors set forth in Section 9781(d), we
    conclude that the trial court properly considered the nature and circumstances
    - 14 -
    J-A19030-18
    of the offense and the history and characteristics of Appellant, as well as the
    sentencing guidelines. See 42 Pa.C.S. § 9781(1). Moreover, the court had
    ample opportunity to observe Appellant at trial and sentencing, and it had the
    benefit of a pre-sentence investigation report. See 
    id. The court’s
    reasons
    for its sentence expressed an appropriate consideration of the protection of
    the public, the gravity of the offense as it related to the impact on the life of
    Decedent and on the community, and the rehabilitative needs of Appellant.
    See 42 Pa.C.S. § 9721(b).
    Contrary to Appellant’s arguments, we do not find the trial court’s
    reasons to be improper or unreasonable.            The court’s explanation for its
    sentence included proper aggravating factors, such as the nature of the drug
    that Appellant sold, Appellant’s salesmanship of the heroin he sold, and
    Appellant’s existing relationship with Decedent.        The court’s references to
    Appellant’s prior convictions for drug offenses were proper, as the specific
    nature of those offenses was relevant to the court’s consideration of
    Appellant’s rehabilitative potential.8 See 
    Messmer, 863 A.2d at 573
    (noting
    ____________________________________________
    8 Appellant relies on Goggins to support his claim that the trial court
    improperly double counted his prior drug convictions. We note that Goggins
    held that the trial court’s references to the defendant’s prior convictions in
    that case were improper where those factors were accounted for in a
    mandatory minimum sentence based, in part, on the defendant’s prior
    convictions. See 
    Goggins, 748 A.2d at 732
    . In Johnson, this Court held
    that the defendant’s prior rape conviction was a pre-condition of his conviction
    for failing to register. 
    Johnson, 758 A.2d at 1218
    . Therefore, Johnson
    concluded that there was no double counting in that case. 
    Id. Thus, although
    Goggins and Johnson state the general principles against double counting
    sentencing factors, they are not controlling in this case.
    - 15 -
    J-A19030-18
    that although the prior record score accounted for the defendant’s prior
    driving-under-the-influence convictions, the score         did not reflect the
    defendant “complete absence of regard for the law” and the need to protect
    the public).   Similarly, the court’s reference to deterrence was adequately
    related to the protection of the public in light of Appellant’s poor rehabilitative
    potential. Accordingly, we see no merit to Appellant’s claim that the trial court
    double counted factors already included in the sentencing guidelines. See 
    id. Therefore, following
    a review of the record, and mindful of our standard
    of review, we see no reason to disturb the trial court’s decision to impose a
    maximum sentence.
    Judgment of sentence affirmed.
    Judgment Entered.
    Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
    Prothonotary
    Date: 1/8/2019
    - 16 -